Cheetah At Denver Zoo Dies After Suffering From Respiratory Infection
DENVER (CBS4) -- The Denver Zoo made a sad announcement Thursday. Marvin, an 8-year-old cheetah, passed away Wednesday evening.
Zoo officials said in a statement that their animal care and veterinary medical staff had intensively treated Marvin, and his brother, Mojo, for a number of ongoing health issues, for the past few years.
One of the issues was a slowly progressive neurological disorder.
Most recently, both cheetahs came down with an upper respiratory infection that required them to stay indoors for several weeks, officials said.
The statement said, in part:
"They regained much of their strength and appetite and were able to enjoy the past two weeks outside; however, Marvin took a turn for the worse yesterday when he became acutely weak. An emergency exam revealed his quality of life was in sharp decline and his prognosis was very poor, so we made the very difficult decision to euthanize him humanely.
"Mojo, also 8 years old, is still on exhibit in the cheetah yard; however, he continues to face similar—although less advanced—health conditions as Marvin. His keepers and Zoo veterinarians are closely monitoring him and providing medical care. Cheetahs live an average of 10-12 years under human care, and few survive more than eight years in the wild.
"Marvin and Mojo came to Denver Zoo in 2012 from The Wilds, a wildlife conservation center in Ohio, and quickly became two of the Zoo's most popular animals. Guests would often see them sunbathing together among the tall grasses or perched atop the elevated structure in their outdoor habitat. Marvin will be sorely missed by Mojo, the staff and volunteers at Denver Zoo, and the countless visitors who have been enthralled by his magnificence. We encourage guests to visit the Zoo to sign or write a note to his keeper on a card posted by the cheetah yard."
